Religion in Marland
Tämä artikkeli on jo käännetty suomeksi! Religion in the Empire Relative freedom of religion is guaranteed by the laws of His Majesties Durrin Empire, since it amalgamates many different, formerly independent states into a single one and recognizes faith as a driving force behind potential uprisings. Thus, the government decided to leave religion to the forces of the free market and merely takes action where a religious group actively bullies others or preaches rebellion. Many cults, sects and churches have embraced the opportunity to recruit new followers abroad. However, since tradition is also among the most important driving forces of the human mind, most provinces are to this day dominated by the religion that was in charge when the invaders came. An interesting side note is that no two religions can agree on the current state of the world, the gods and their affairs with the world and one another, but every single one of them has the same myth of creation, in which an entity called Alo creates first the world and then - optionally - the gods, who go on to create the mortals. Religion in Marland The concept of freedom of religion is old and well heeded in Marland, the kingdom being the oldest province of the Empire. No matter how small and silly a cult may be, its presence will be tolerated, though the gouvernment does of course not forbid followers of other religions to make fun of it. Politically, the churches are left to their own devices. They may raise their own taxes, which are independent of the kingdom's taxes, though the latter must always be paid first if someone cannot afford both. Influence in either direction is only possible by informal agreements, which are, of course, easiest with members of one's own religion. Thus it may come to pass that, despite the official equal treatment, a particularly devout Baron may refuse to sell any building to a cult he opposes. Overall, the common people of Marland are rather faithful, though the nobles do not always heed the biddings of their chosen religion, whichever it may be. Cults, Sects and Churches in Marland The Church of Creation The church of Creation is the most important religion in Marland, both by the number of members and by political influence. It is closely related to the Church of Alo in Durrin and commonly, travellers from one kingdom to another are welcomed in either temple for a prayer. The centre of the faith of the Church of Creation is that Alo has not, in fact, created any gods, but is directly responsible for mankind, the animal kingdom and also all plants, plus a near infinite number of things that are neither animal nor plant and also too small to see. Furthermore, the CoC claims that, due to the nature of the universe, the world cannot exist in it without constantly being re-created. Thus, without the unwavering attention of Alo, everything would fall to ruin in a very short span of time, and all of humanity should thank their protector for his attention. The Church of Creation is generally amiable in its relation to other religions. They can afford to be so, since they are in a position of power. For the past few centuries, no other cult has challenged their spiritual authority in Marland. Whether the CoC would still be amiable if that happened, or whether it would be capable of reacting to it at all, remains open to discussion. The symbol of the Church of Creation is a circle with a map of the Known World, held by two hands. The Trinitists The term “Trinitist” refers to cults who believe in the existence of three gods. There are two groups of trinitists with membership numbers that make them worth mentioning in Marland: The Order of the Celestial Trinity and the Order of the Terrestrial Trinity. Unsurprisingly, the two are often confused, especially by people who pronounce words like Terrestrial or Celestial unclearly. The Order of the Terrestrial Trinity The order believes that the world is governed by three gods: Ul’uthera, the god of Fire, War and Spirit, Ul’endire, the Goddess of Peace, Life and Birth and Ul’darim, the God of Earth, Stability and Reliability. In their faith, Ul’endire gives life to plants, animals and people, Ul’uthera endows them with spirit and Ul’darim gives them a world to stand and live on. All three gods deserve the same devotion, and while cult members often devote their lives to one aspect of the faith, none would claim to be a follower only of one deity. The Order of the Terrestrial Trinity considers the Order of the Celestial Trinity to be heretics and their worst enemies. The Symbol of the Order of the Terrestrial Trinity is the upward-pointing triangle. The three sides represent one god each. The Order of the Celestial Trinity The order believes that the world is governed by three gods: Ul’uthera, the god of Fire, War and Spirit, Ul’endire, the Goddess of Peace, Life and Birth and Ul’derem, the God of Sky, Breath and Lightness. In their faith, Ul’endire gives life to plants, animals and people, Ul’uthera endows them with spirit and Ul’derem gives them the breath and lightness they need to walk the world. All three gods deserve the same devotion, and while cult members often devote their lives to one aspect of the faith, none would claim to be a follower only of one deity. The Order of the Celestial Trinity considers the Order of the Terrestrial Trinity to be heretics and their worst enemies. The Symbol of the Order of the Celestial Trinity is the downward-pointing triangle. The three sides represent one god each. The Order of the Encompassing Quartinity While not a trinitist religion, the Order of the Encompassing Quartinity has its roots in the trinitist cults and is therefore mentioned at this point. The order believes that the world is governed by four gods: Ul’uthera, the god of Fire, War and Spirit, Ul’endire, the Goddess of Peace, Life and Birth, Ul’darim, the God of Earth, Stability and Reliability and Ul’derem, the God of Sky, Breath and Lightness. In their faith, Ul’endire gives life to plants, animals and people, Ul’uthera endows them with spirit, Ul’darim gives them a world to stand and live on and Ul’derem gives them the breath and lightness they need to walk the world. All four gods deserve the same devotion, and while cult members often devote their lives to one aspect of the faith, none would claim to be a follower only of one deity. The Order of the Encompassing Quartinity considers the Orders of the Celestial and Terrestrial Trinity to be poor, misled souls who need to be saved from their narrow points of view by extended missionary work and seeks to make peace between them. The Symbol of the Order of the Encompassing Quartinity is the square crossed by two lines. The old religion In the northern, less civilized regions of Marland, there are still traces of old religions, often more sinister and bloody than the cults of the south. These sects don't have names, and often not even the deities they worship have any. They stem from a time when mankind fought for survival every day against wild beasts and the forces of nature. Rituals may include duels with blunt or sometimes less blunt weapons, sacrifices of one's own blood and dances around huge bonfires. The impartial observer is advised to keep his distance, as members of these cults do not react well to being observed during their holy services. The worst sides are kept under strict supervision by the government, but the north is still wild, and many a traveller has been known not to arrive at his destination, presumably killed by wild animals... Category:Intime Category:Symposium